JPH11119948A - Printing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

[PROBLEMS] To provide a video controller in a conventional printing apparatus, such as a laser beam printer or an ink jet printer, for printing image information by causing a print medium such as toner or ink to act on a print medium such as paper. Since the data for test printing stored in the internal memory was printed, only the information of the printer itself was printed, and it was not possible to obtain information of newly added accessories for expansion. For this reason, in a printing apparatus having replaceable parts for holding a print medium, these replaceable parts include:
An information storage unit is provided which is not rewritten and whose contents are not destroyed even when the power is turned off, and the test print data is stored in the nonvolatile storage unit of the replaceable part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, for example, a printing apparatus such as a laser beam printer, an ink jet printer, a copying machine, a plotter or the like, which prints image information by applying a printing medium to a printing medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional printer of this type prints test print data stored in a memory in a video controller.

[0003]

Therefore, in the conventional test printing, it is impossible to print only information of the print itself and obtain information of a newly added accessory for extension or the like. was there.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and uses a replaceable part for holding a printing (storage) medium, and replaces this part with a printer every time the part is replaced. The latest information is used as test print data.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, in the present invention, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus according to any one of the following items (1) to (3) to achieve the above object. .

(1) In a printing apparatus having a replaceable part for holding a print medium, the replaceable part has information storage means which is not rewritten and whose contents are not destroyed even when the power is cut off. A printing apparatus, wherein test print data is stored in a non-volatile storage unit of the replaceable part to be held.

(2) The printing apparatus according to (1), wherein the latest accessory information for the printing apparatus is stored as test print data in addition to the storage function.

(3) The tracking data of the forgery prevention control of the nonvolatile storage means of the replaceable part holding the printing medium is always printed together with the drawing data. The printing device according to any one of the above.

[0009]

According to the configuration of the present invention as described above, it is possible to store the latest printer information as test print data and execute test print using the nonvolatile storage means.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings based on an embodiment.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of an embodiment of the present invention.
2000 is a laser beam printer, 3000 is a toner cartridge, 405 is an EEPROM built in the toner cartridge 3000, and 4000 is an EEPROM 40
A computer 5 stores the latest extended accessory information of the laser printer in the laser printer.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the image forming apparatus including the latest extended accessory information of the printer 2000 stored in the EEROM 405.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 100 denotes a host interface cable, which is a transmission line for connecting a host computer 1000, which is an external device, and the image forming apparatus 2000 to transmit and receive print data and necessary command data.

Reference numeral 200 denotes an operation panel unit for setting a laser printer, performing test printing, and transferring the contents of an image processing unit 400 described later.

Reference numeral 300 denotes an operation panel cable, which is a communication line for connecting the operation panel unit 200 and the image processing unit 400 and transferring setting information. Actually, an electric cable may be used, and if the operation panel unit 200 and the image processing unit 400 are configured by a single printed circuit board, a wiring pattern may be used.

Reference numeral 400 denotes an image processing unit (also referred to as a “printer controller”).
After analyzing the print data received from 0 and developing it into image bitmap image data, a print processing unit 6 described later
At 00, the image bitmap image data is transferred and printed on paper. The data set by the operation panel unit 200 is also transferred to the print processing unit 600.

Reference numeral 500 denotes a print cable, which is a communication line for connecting the image processing unit 400 and the print processing unit 600 and transferring image bitmap image data. Actually, it may be an electric cable or a wiring pattern if the image processing unit 400 and the print processing unit 600 are configured by a single printed circuit board.

Reference numeral 600 denotes a print processing unit (also referred to as a "printer engine"), which performs a process of converting image bitmap image data transferred from the image processing unit 400 into print bitmap image data and printing it on paper. Things. In the present invention, the test print bitmap image data stored in the cartridge EEPROM 604 described below is also printed on paper by operating the operation panel unit 200.

Next, the operation panel unit 200 will be described in detail; reference numeral 201 denotes an operation panel control unit which controls each block of the operation panel unit 200. The operation panel control unit 201 includes an operation panel operation unit 202 including a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and performs a setting operation using a switch or the like. 203, an image forming unit I / F
And transmits setting data.

Next, the image processing section 400 will be described in detail;
An image processing control unit 401 controls each block of the image processing unit 400. This image processing control unit 4
Reference numeral 01 includes a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM.

Reference numeral 402 denotes a host I / F (interface)
Part, for example, Centronics interface or RS
232C is used. A data receiving buffer 403 temporarily stores print data received from the host computer 1000. An operation panel unit I / F unit 404 receives setting data from the operation panel unit 200. Reference numeral 405 denotes a command analysis unit.
The print data stored in the data reception buffer 403 is analyzed and developed into image bitmap image data in an image memory 406 described later.

An image memory 406 stores the image bitmap image data analyzed by the command analysis unit 405 and developed.

Reference numeral 407 denotes a printing unit I / F (interface).
The image memory 406 is provided to the print processing unit 600.
To send the drawing bitmap image data stored in the. This may be serial transfer or parallel transfer.

Each block of the image processing unit 400 is connected by an image processing internal bus 408, and data can be transmitted and received between the blocks.

Next, the print processing unit 600 will be described in detail; reference numeral 601 denotes a print control unit;
Are controlled. Reference numeral 602 denotes an image processing unit I / F (interface).
This receives the image bitmap image data sent from the printing unit I / F (interface) 407.

A print data buffer 603 stores print bitmap image data to be printed in a printing unit 605 described later. 604 is
A cartridge EEPROM holds test print data of the latest information of the laser printer and print bitmap image data.

A print unit 605 prints the print bitmap image data stored in the print data buffer 603 or the test print bitmap image data stored in the cartridge EEPROM 604 on paper.

Each block of the print processing unit 600 is connected by a print processing internal bus 606 so that data can be transmitted and received between the blocks.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By using the non-volatile storage means, it is possible to retain and print the latest extended extension part data of the printer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printer control system according to an embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 host interface cable 200 operation panel unit 201 operation panel control unit 202 operation panel operation unit 203 image forming unit 400 image processing unit 401 image processing control unit 402 host I / F (interface) unit 403 data reception buffer 404 panel I / F ( Interface) unit 405 command analysis unit 406 image memory 407 print I / F (interface) unit 408 image processing unit internal bus 500 print cable 600 print processing unit 601 print processing control unit 602 image processing unit I / F (interface) unit 603 printing Data buffer 604 Cartridge EEPROM 605 Printing unit 606 Print processing unit internal bus 1000 Host computer 2000 Printer 3000 Cartridge 4000 Computer

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A printing apparatus having replaceable parts for holding a print medium, wherein said replaceable parts have information storage means for rewriting and whose contents are not destroyed even when the power is cut off, and hold said print medium. A printing apparatus for storing test print data in a nonvolatile storage unit of the replaceable part. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the latest accessory information for the printing apparatus is stored as test print data in addition to the storage function. 3. The tracking data of anti-counterfeit control of a nonvolatile storage means of a replaceable part holding the print medium is always printed together with drawing data.
3. The printing device according to any one of 2.